LaLiga president tells FIFA's Infantino to quit after failed World Cup stake sale
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has told FIFA president Gianni Infantino not to continue in his role after Infantino’s failed attempt to sell a stake in a new company that would manage FIFA’s commercial rights and tournament operations. In a weekend tweet, Tebas wrote, “INFANTINO MUST NOT CONTINUE,” noting that while FIFA withdrew the privatisation proposal, the underlying governance problems remain unresolved and warned that confederations, associations, leagues and players should not treat the withdrawal as settled. Infantino confirmed on Saturday that the plan to allow private investors to buy stakes had been halted after UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA events and other confederations rejected the proposal, leaving him without sufficient support.
The controversy matters because FIFA’s governance affects global tournaments, funding for football development and the integrity of competitions that African teams compete in. UEFA’s boycott threat and the lack of confederation backing signal growing dissent among major football stakeholders over transparency and commercialisation decisions.
What should Nigerian football fans and administrators do? Monitor how FIFA’s leadership responds to this pressure, consider advocating for clearer governance reforms that protect African football interests, and stay alert to any potential boycotts or changes to upcoming World Cup qualifiers and tournaments.